A recent study by Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Ohio, shows a significant rise in head injuries associated with high chairs among infants in the United States.
The study was led by Dr. Gary Smith, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy. The research was based on data collected on infants aged 3 years or younger admitted in emergency wards due to head injuries between 2003 and 2010.
According to the researchers, nearly 9,400 head injury cases among infants were reported every year during the period, which means nearly one child getting admitted every hour. Head injury cases during the study period saw a hike of around 90 percent. From 2,558 cases in 2003 they increased to 4,789 in 2010, reveals a recent post on medical express. The children were mostly found to be climbing or standing on high chairs prior to the accidents, the study shows.
The study gives a break up on the type of injuries the toddlers suffered after falling down from their booster seats or high chairs
Ninety three percent of the head injury cases involved a high chair or booster seat.
Of the Closed head injuries (CHIs) reported between 2003 and 2010, 37 percent had internal hemorrhage due to a fall from a high chair. Bumps and bruise ranked next in the chart with 33 percent and 19 percent accounted for cuts, states the study that will be published in an upcoming print edition of Clinical Pediatrics.
The researchers also made a comparative analysis between the accidents associated with high chairs and traditional chairs. Around 40,000 head injury cases linked to traditional chairs were reported every year, over the time (2003-2010).
Most parents are unaware of the risks associated with high chairs. "Families may not think about the dangers associated with the use of high chairs," said Smith in a statement. "High chairs are typically used in kitchens and dining areas, so when a child falls from the elevated height of the high chair, he is often falling head first onto a hard surface such as tile or wood flooring with considerable force. This can lead to serious injuries."
Another reason for the increase in number of cases may be faulty chairs. Around 3.5 million defective chairs have been reported in recent years. The manufacturing flaws include faulty restraint bars, weak plastic joints and belts that can't be secured tightly. But only 10 -20 percent of the recalled products are actually returned, states Smith, according to dispatch.
According the researchers, the easiest way to prevent such accidents is that parents need to be more vigilant while their kids are on high chairs.
Tracy Mehan, a child safety expert at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital has some suggestions to prevent high chair injuries:
- Make sure the high chair has safety straps with either a 3-point or 5-point harness.
- Make sure the high chair has a crotch strap.
- When you set up the high chair, put it in an area where the child cannot reach anything and make sure it's away from the table or a wall or counter so they can't kick or push the chair over.
- Use booster seats that secure to a chair and have a tray, and make sure they are firmly attached, with no wiggle room.
- In restaurants, make sure the high chairs or booster seats they provide have functional straps that are in working order. If they don't, ask for one that does.
